06 April 2018, 16:42
Five gays from Chechnya receive humanitarian visas to Belgium
Belgium has accepted five LGBTs from Chechnya to protect them from persecutions in their homeland. This was reported by Theo Franken, the State Secretary for Asylum and Migration.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in April 2017, the "Novaya Gazeta" reported about mass arrests and killings in Chechnya of men suspected of non-traditional sexual orientation, as well as about the "secret prison" for gays in the Chechen town of Argun.
During the period from April to September 2017, the Russian LGBT Network raised 300,000 euros within the campaign aimed to evacuate homosexuals from Chechnya. On April 3, the Network reported that over the past year 114 gays were evacuated from the republic; 92 of them are already outside Russia.
The "Sudpresse" quotes Mr Franken that some LGBTs had been killed in Chechnya.
"Belgium is among first countries to do something concrete on this issue," the "DeMorgen" quotes Mr Franken as saying.
In May-September 2017, gays from Chechnya found refuge in Lithuania, France, Germany and Canada.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.